Locking-switch.



P. C. THONER.

LOCKING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED mac 2. 1916 1,239,062. PatentedSept. 4,1911

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Invezzor Pads? 0. Thoner means.

October 30, 1914, Ser. No.

rnnnn c. THbNER, or EVERETT, massaonnsnrrs.

Looms-swan.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Penna O..Tno1vnn, of Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches especially adapted for high voltage circuits. Such switching devices are usually attached to a wall and sometimes to a ceili and the opening and closing of the switch is then customarily effected by means of a pole having a hook to engage the movable member of the switch to pul that member open or to swing it back to close the circuit. It is, of course, desirable that there shall be no liability of the switch accidentall opening, due to the effect of gravity or or other reasons.

One oi the objects of my invention is to rovide improved means for positive] ibcking the movable member of the switc so that it cannot be accidentally thrown.

Another object is to rovide an improved doubleth row switch of this character hav-' infifsimple and compact locking devices.

y invention as a whole comprises an improvement upon or a carrying forward of, the switch an locking mechanism described and claimed in my a plicationfiled 569,408. To this end my invention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe me claim. j

Of the abcompan 1n drawings, Figure 1 is a si e e evation of a doublethrow switch having my improved locking Fig. 2 represents a section bn line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

ig. 3 is an end elevattlon from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 a detail elevation of one of the lockin bilge or levers.

Simi ar reference characters indicate similar parts in all of the views.

Connected to a suitable insulating plate or base 12 are three pairs of jaws 13, 14, 15, havin y suitable means whereby circuit conn ns can be made with the stems 16, 17, 18,3 which respectively extend from the basps of the jaws 13, 14, 15 through the insulating plate 12.

The intermediate jaws 14 carry a pin or bolt 19 which serves as the pivot of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 191 '7.

Application filed December 2, 1916. Serial No. 184,611.

switch blade 20. Adjacent the bases of the other jaws 13, 15, are catch lugs 21, 22, respectively. Y I

The outer'end of the blade 20 is formed with an eye 23, and pivotally mounted close to said eye are two locking levers or bars which are duplicates of each other in form and construction and which overlap opposite sides of the blade. One of these levers or bars 24 is pivoted at 25 and has one end formed with a curved wall 26 which is of substantially semi-circular formation and is of shorter radius than the radius of the adjacent wall of the eye 23. Normally the wall 26 is nearer the axial center of eye 23 than the adjacent wall of said eye, for a reason presently explained. V

The outer portion of the pivoted bar or lever is in a different plane from that of the portion so far described and at its extremit is hook shaped, as at 27, to engage catch ug 22 when the blade isswung over from its Fig. 1 position. In other words, the inner portion, havin the curvedwall, is oifset from the plane o the outer portion having the book, so that while the former overlaps one side of the blade and is piv ted thereto, the latter is in substantially t e same plane as the blade as best illustrated in Fig. 3. Said outer. portion hastwo shonL ders 28 29, adapted to limit the movement of the leverin either direction. A spring 30 engaged at one end in a socket 31 in shoulder 29 (Fi 4) and at the other end bearin to hol the lever in position to cause the hook to enga lug 22.

The other ever or bar being a duplicate of the one just described, has its essential parts indicated by the same reference numerals with the,addition ofthe exponent a. When the switch is in the position shown in Fig. '1 and it is desired to open or throw the switch blade, a suitable hook-operating implement indicated by dotted lines at 82 against t e edge of the blade, serves- -is inserted between the two curved walls 4 26-26, Then by a simple downward ull when my improvements are applied to a double throw switch. f course a reverse operation of the kind just described will re sult in returning the switch blade to the position shown in Fig. 1.

For a sin 1e throw switch, when a lock is desired to old the blade when 0 en, the switch jaws 15 would be omitted, t e catch lug 22 being, of course, retained for holding the single t row switch in open position.

I do not limit myself to the exact details illustrated and described. For instance, the

blade 20 need not be formed with a complete eye 23. This is because the shoulders of the two locking levers or bars which are ada ted to contact with the edges of the bla e, enable the pull of the operating implement on either one of the pivoted levers or bars to be transmitted to the blade 20 for swinging the blade.

My attachments to the blade are exceedingly simple and compact and are not such as to interferewith the well known type of test clip which is fre uently mounted just be 0nd the end of the lade.

ilhe structure is such that the switch can be attached either to a wall or to a ceiling without alteration, and enable the blade to be unlocked and opened by a downward pull of anoperating implement. This is because the inner wall of the curved ortion of each of the ivoted bars is of an stantially semi-cir'cu ar formation, and is of shorter radius than the radius of the adjacent wall ofi the eye 23 employed, so that, whether the switch is in vertical or horizontal" position, there-will always be a portion of said inner clirved wall that can be enga ed by a hook on the end of an operating po e .to cause the release of either hookfrom its catch lug by a simple downward pull. t

Having now described my invention, I claim: W V 1. An electric switch comprising three posts, a switch blade 1pivotally connected to the middle. of one of t e posts, said blade being provided with an opening to be engaged by an operating implement, a catch Iugladjacent each of the other posts, switchjaws adjacent each of said catch lugs, a airof bars pivotally connected to opposite sides copies of thin patent maybe obtalnedtor when the latter is '4 2 of the blade and projecting in op osite directions therefrom, the outer on of each arm being hook-shaped to engage a catch lug and having its other end over apping said opening, a spring for each bar to hold it, normally in position for its hook to engage a catch lug, each of said overlapping ends having an inner wall curved to a substantially semi-cylindrical form, the said curved wall being nearer the axial center, of the opening in the blade than the inner wall of said opening and of shorter radius than the radius of the-adjacent wall of said opening,

. whereby the switch blade may be unlocked and opened by an operating implement inserted in said opening an pulled downwardly, whether the switch is attached to a wall, or to a ceiling.

2. A locking switch of the character described, comprising a pivoted blade, a contact therefor, a bar pivoted directly to the blade and having one portion provided with a hook in the plane of the blade and having an offset portlon adjacent one side of the blade, said ofl'set portion having a curved edge wall to be engaged. by an unlocking implement, said bar havin two shoulders opposite One edge of the b ade to limit the degree of movement of the bar relatively to the blade, and a fixed catch to coiiperate with said hook to hold the blade in coiiperation with said contact.

3. A locking switch ofthe character described, comprising a pivoted blade, a contact therefor, a bar pivoted directly to the blade and having one portion rovided with a hook in the plane of the bla e and having an ofi'set portlon adjacent one side of the blade, sai offset portion having a curved edge wall to be engaged by an unlocking implement, said bar havin two shoulders oppositeone edge of the b aide to limit the deee of movement of the bar relatively to the lade, a s ring interposed between one of said shoul ers and the edge of'the blade, and

a fixed catch to coiiperate with said hook to hold the blade in coiiperation with said contact. t

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my a signature.

PEDER C. THONER.

flveccntl each, by addresllng the commissioner o! Iatentc, Washington-3.0." i 

